Crazy Little Thing Called Love
by darkmousey
Summary: It is only through the power of the miko that the world has recovered from devastation. But it is only through bonding with youkai that the miko can survive. For one, time is running out.
1. Part 1 - Somebody to Love

**Crazy Little Thing Called Love**

AN: This was submitted for The Deadliest Sin's End of the World long fic competition (fall 2012). I decided to add/edit things before posting...then it got pushed aside til now. Hope you all enjoy. I'll be posting as I do final edits for the next couple days-don't worry, it's fairly short, so you won't have to wait long for the end!

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**Part 1: Somebody to Love**

_Each morning I get up I die a little,_

_Can barely stand on my feet._

_Take a look in the mirror and I cry,_

"_Lord, what you doing to me?"_

_I spent all my years believing in you,_

_But I just can't get no relief, Lord._

_Somebody, somebody, can anybody find me_

_Somebody to love?_

Kagome's first memory—first true memory, beyond flashes and shadows, like the briefest glance at an impressionist painting in progress—is a _thrum_, a gentle pulse that she felt reverberate throughout her entire body. She remembered running, excitedly but unsteadily, the gait of a child who just recently found her footing, using momentum more than anything else to move herself along, not hoping she wouldn't fall because the thought would never have occurred to her. She ran to the big tree, the Goshinboku, which had always fascinated her, its trunk so much larger than any others she had seen, and the papers tied to its branches adding a strange note to the wind. She ran to the Goshinboku and made a quick bow—her mother had always told her to be respectful of the tree, treat it as an elder who wasn't her grandfather. Then, with her back to the massive trunk and body wedged between two roots breaking through the surrounding pavement, was quickly lulled asleep by the gentle rustling.

She opened her eyes to a clearing, one which had not been there before, she was sure: for all that she was only six, she had lived at her family's shrine for all of those six years, and she knew it and the surrounding area well enough to know she had never seen this place, not even in all her dreams before. Where there had once been the shrine complex, built up around the Goshinboku, there were no buildings here, no shed housing the dried up well, no stand to sell gifts. There was only the grass and the wind, and the line of trees beyond, surrounding the ancient tree, as if it were holding court. When she tried to see beyond the tree line, she found it to be impossible.

And then there was movement. From all around her, figures emerged, adorned in white and red, slowly becoming more visible with each step, as if moving through a mist, women with such serious expressions she began to worry. Mother only had such an expression on her face when Kagome had done something wrong.

It was then that she felt movement behind her, against her, which struck her as odd because she was propped up against the Goshinboku, and she knew that trees didn't move. But when she looked up, it was not into the branches of the ancient tree, but into the grey eyes of an alien face. It was a male face, and kind, she decided when his lips quirked in a soft smile, his eyes crinkling like her father's so often did. Calmer, she realized that she was no longer resting against the Goshinboku, but against his legs. And yet, from somewhere deep inside, she had a feeling they were one in the same.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw the line of women stop, except for one, the one directly in front of her, who continued to advance until she was barely a foot from Kagome. She looked just a little younger than Kagome's mother, but with much longer hair, kept under control with white ties. She kneeled, expression softening from stern to solemn.

"Hello there, child," she said, voice deep and quiet. "My name is Kikyou. What is your name?"

She gripped lightly at the hakama of the Goshinboku's human form and looked shyly at the woman before murmuring, "Kagome."

"Kagome," she answered, lips quirked in a smile, "What a nice name. Do you know why you're here, Kagome?"

She furrowed her brows and shook her head once in response.

"Goshinboku, one of the eldest of beings," she motioned behind her, "sent a summons for us all to meet you here, in its realm."

"What do you mean?"

"You are here, Kagome, because you have been blessed with a great power that you can use to help a lot of people."

"But I'm only four," she replied slowly. "How can I help?"

The woman smiled again, softly, and reached out to stroke one of Kagome's hands. "Child, have you ever heard the story of how the miko came to be?"

She shook her head in response. She had, of course, heard of miko—her family was in charge of a shrine, after all, and her grandfather was always rambling in the middle of one story or another—but she didn't think there was a special story to go with them. She tilted her head to the left, as she always did when her mother prepared to tell her a story. Kikyou, in turn, looked up and behind her.

The spirit of the Goshinboku nodded and knelt behind Kagome, pulling her into his embrace. "When the gods first created the earth," he began, his voice deep and calming, "the first creatures they created were the animals. But due to their simplicity, the gods, in their youth, soon became bored—and thus were born the first humans, and they watched with joy as their new creation became ever more creative. For a time, nothing changed that the humans did not change, and as their numbers grew, change occurred more frequently. But what the gods didn't expect was for the earth to be sentient. She, Mother, disturbed by the destruction being reaped upon her, created the race we now know as youkai in order to teach the humans moderation. For a time, they lived peacefully, but soon the humans grew resentful of the earth's caretakers and their restrictions and began to fight against them. The youkai fought back, but the longer they fought, the more they forgot their original purpose, causing just as much destruction as the humans." He stopped and this and looked toward Kikyou, who was shaking her head sadly at this, and Kagome could feel her frustration.

"The gods, unable to stand by and watch, made a pact with the earth for a barrier to be put in place to separate the two races, lest they destroy one another. As before the youkai, the humans again began to expand, increasing in number with each passing day and when the earth could no longer support them, they devised ways to force out more and more. They used their technology to take what they could of the earth until there was nothing left to take. The gods, seeing their children in trouble, hurt and starving, intervened once again: it was their powers that once created the earth, so it was their powers that could once again restore it. However, the gods could not leave their heavenly home without they themselves becoming mortal. Unable to decide who should pay such a price, they all paid an equal price: each god separated a small part of their soul to give to a human child of his or her choice, still within its mother." At this, she held a hand to her stomach, a slight gesture, as if she barely noticed she was doing it. "Human and heavenly souls bonded together from before birth, the children were thus able to adapt in some aspects to the influx of power."

"However, these children, these chosen few of the gods, paid a horrible price," Goshinboku continued with tense sadness. "Mother was ill, thirsty like a man without a drop of water in his veins, and these children, able to commune with Mother and all her children, heal her with their very souls, died young, unable to separate themselves from the constant energy drain."

"Except for one," Kikyou said, holding up a finger and beginning to show a hint of a smile once again. "Midoriko. You see, there was a barrier in place, true, but some youkai were still able to get through, and she fell in love with one, and he with her, and through their bond, and his connection to the earth, he was able to break the connection, keep her whole. She was the first, and greatest, of those who came to be known as miko. It was the two of them who sought out the leaders of their worlds to negotiate a deal, for the human world was broken and dying and the youkai world had been lifeless since the beginning, barely a shadow of the earth to which they longed to return. It was they who petitioned the gods to remove the barrier and they who set up the first Council. When she eventually died, of old age, her soul, the largest of all sent to earth, splintered to inhabit those throughout the world who call ourselves miko and houshi, and each of us is paired with a youkai who can balance us, and thereby continue to bring balance to the world. And every so often—once a generation—several souls will combine to become one, and this child is destined to become the High Miko. That title currently belongs to me. And you, Kagome," she said, leveling the girl with a serious, though kind, look, "are to be my successor."

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her mother would only allow her to do the most basic of tasks in the kitchen, and she was to keep the world balanced?

Kikyou saw the despair on the girl's face and reached out to stroke loose strands of hair behind her ear, offering what comfort she could. "I know that this is too much to take in right now; I remember my first meeting with my mentor. You are young still, Kagome, I know you are not ready to take on the responsibility of the world. You need not worry about that for decades. But do you think you might like to train, to learn how to use your powers?"

"Yes!" Kagome exclaimed, relieved and also excited to learn something new. "I mean," she said, slowly now, "if Mama says it's okay."

"Well, we'll just have to ask her, won't we?" She cocked her head to the side then, as if hearing something for her ears only. "It's time for me to go, Kagome," she said as she stood from her kneeling position. Around her, the ring of miko were already fading away, having witnessed the heir accepting her duties. "I shall see you again soon." With a small bow, she began to walk away.

"Wait!" Kagome called out. "How do I get back home?"

"Goshinboku will help you with that," her voice said from the treeline. Then she was gone.

Kagome looked up at the Goshinboku man. Without a word, he encapsulated her in his arms. She breathed in his scent, of sweetness, and wood, and _home._

And when she opened her eyes again, she was at the shrine, propped up against the Goshinboku as she had been when she dozed off.

Heavy breathing was all that punctuated the silence of the morning on the steps leading to the Higurashi Shrine.

"Kagome—"

"No, Sesshoumaru," she cut off the youkai decisively, meeting his amber eyes from her position on the 58th of 546 steps. "Kikyou needs to learn she can't just keep me trapped in the compound, letting me out only to view another batch of youkai suitors. I deserve to be able to visit my own family."

He smirked, setting off his angled features. "I was merely going to offer to carry you up part of the way. You have, after all," he said, eyes narrowing playfully, "been far more clumsy than usual lately."

She smiled in response to let him know she appreciated the effort, but they both knew that the words hid a painful truth.

A miko could be called back from a soul trance by only three things: her own willpower, her soul-bonded youkai, or a youkai whose youki surpassed the tenki of the miko. Sesshoumaru, despite her deep affection for him, was just another in a long line of youkai who was temporarily able to keep her on the mortal plane. Their bond wouldn't last for much longer, though, she knew. Like water behind a patchwork dam, she could feel her powers testing the limits of the bond, finding the cracks, and soon… Already she could feel her soul resist him every time she went into trance, not that she was often able to do so, given the cement compound and the small, tame garden she was given to keep herself centered.

She remembered a time when she was freely able to go into trance, to sit amongst the roots of the Goshinboku, forever her favorite companion amongst the Mother's brood, and could feel her soul pool out into the world, providing to flora and fauna alike the spiritual energy necessary to heal, to maintain the balance, and the feeling of her soul returning to her, feeling not quite drained but like a well-exercised muscle. That feeling, with her childhood and her good health, was long gone, trapped behind a wall of pride and regret…and not a little lost hope.

Sesshoumaru, knowing the thoughts behind the silence, sat down beside her. "Kagome, you do not have to wait."

"We've had this argument before, Sesshoumaru," she replied, face in her hands. "As have Kikyou and I, and Inuyasha and I, and every other youkai I've been paired with for the last five years." She turned to him, eyes burning with the same determination he had seen when he'd first met her, so many years ago.  
"If I die, then so what, Kikyou and Inuyasha can continue to keep the balance, just wait a little longer until my soul—souls, whatever—are reborn. Maybe that soul will meet its mate and everything will be fine then."

"We both know it's not that simple. The longer Kikyou remains the central balance for the world, the more her power diminishes. Her bond with Inuyasha increases her time, her life, but we both know that they can't afford to wait much longer. You are her heir, Kagome, you need to bond. Soon."

"I've been looking," she said quietly, eyes downcast, "for all my life, you know that." Her posture changed. "But even if I could bring myself to force a bond—and you've seen what can happen with a forced bond—Even if I could, what youkai is powerful enough to subdue my tenki at this point? And don't you dare nominate yourself, Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru sighed inwardly, remaining stone-faced and logical on the outside, knowing very well his part in this argument. "I am the only youkai spiritually and physically powerful enough not yet mated—"

"Not_ yet _mated, Sesshoumaru," she whispered. "I could never do that to you and Kagura."

He sighed. "You are far too honorable for your own good, Kagome."

"If I wasn't," she said, smiling at him, ending the familiar argument as they always did, "You never would have accepted Kikyou's proposal." _And you and Kagura would have been mated eight months ago instead of buying me time._

He stood up then, holding out his hand for her. "We will find your mate, Kagome." He said it with such conviction that Kagome didn't have the heart to argue and instead put a smile on her face in the hope that the motion would bring herself some cheer, and took his hand.

Instead of bringing her to her feet, he instead pulled her into his arms and leapt up the stairs—but not all the way. He was a youkai of his word after all. It was one of the few stipulations she'd negotiated into their temporary bond.

Her family must never know she was dying.

As she walked up the last few steps, careful not to lose control of her feet, Sesshoumaru just behind her doing the same, she saw her mother in the kitchen window, heard the noise of Souta teasing their grandfather, and she let loose a genuine smile.


	2. Part 2 - Don't Stop Me Now

**Part 2: Don't Stop Me Now**

_Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time_

_I feel ali-i-i-ive, and the world, it's turning inside out, yeah!_

_I'm floating around in ecstasy, so_

_Don't stop me now._

_Don't stop me,_

'_Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time!_

Hiei had always preferred high perches. He refused to think it was his koorime heritage, them and their high, cold plane, looking down upon the earth they at which they snubbed their noses, thinking their isolation righteous. As far as he was concerned, he was hiyoukai through and through—save for the part of him that claimed Yukina as his sister.

Hiei had learned from a young age that he who was highest had the greatest advantage in a fight, in survival. Even when he lived with the bandits, who trained him and claimed him as their own, he never felt truly safe unless he was high up in one of the trees surrounding their camp. When he moved on to live in Mukuro's castle, he claimed the watchtower as his own. And when the barrier between the two worlds was dissolved, he took up migrating from skyscraper to skyscraper. Not that he'd call any of them home. His "homes" were many, and secret, though he would occasionally rest at the homes of his few allies. But it was the skyscrapers he ventured to in order to clear his mind, when he wasn't in the mood to fight or train, or spy upon the mostly mediocre lives of those around him in order to glean details he could use later to his advantage. He allowed himself a moment to be still, to look upon the human world that was once closed to youkai, and just…drift in thought.

This world had changed since his youth, when he had to plan for just the right moment to sneak across the barrier, see the world that they were restricted from entering, merely because the gods saw fit to treat them as children to be put in time out. It had changed since the day the barrier had finally collapsed.

He remembered cities so crowded with people and built up with metal and concrete that he would have to walk for hours, or scale a skyscraper such as this, just to see a glimpse of green, either beyond the city or tamed within it. The humans saw the diminishing forests and ever-increasing clouds of smog as consequences of progress.

He snorted.

Like progressively killing off more of the land and more of the population until the entire world realized something was wrong.

And then the barrier came down and the miko were born. Centuries later and the cities, once gray and drab and devouring the landscape, were tall buildings – still gray and drab – jutting out of the treeline, some for living quarters, some for work—But the most impressive were the shrines, not tall, not all of them anyways, but all of them broad, with white stairs and red gates to mark them, the surrounding trees warded with slips of paper and bells that rustled and jingled in the wind. While the grounds were cement, they housed some of the only structures still built with wood.

Not even the wealthy—well, the honest among them—lived in houses of wood. The miko were powerful and, while no miko was the head of any government, they—and the Anchor in particular—held a certain amount of respect, for they held the ultimate power over those remaining inhabitants of the earth, even the youkai, who they picked over and ensnared to guard them, with full cooperation—and, often, aid—from the Youkai Council.

There were many, he knew, that would say Hiei was too harsh in his judgement of the miko. It wasn't that Hiei wasn't appreciative of the fact that he wasn't forced to live in a barren, polluted wasteland as would have been the case had the miko not come into existence. And it wasn't that he had any desire to free those youkai who had been enchanted by the miko—if they were too weak to prevent it, or so frail of mind or full of idealism, he wouldn't waste his time with them.

But he resented the fact that the Youkai Council approved of the actions of the Human Council and their miko, to take youkai and subjugate them, regardless of any excuses they gave.

Freedom—the chance to get away, stay away from the barren land Makai had become—came at a high price for many youkai every generation.

Sure, there were those that seemed content enough with their situation, but for every one of those, he knew there were just as many who were not given the choice, who were given up for the greater good. His sister had been among them, taken from the new island the Koorime had claimed in Ningenkai, just after she reached the age of majority, by a houshi who had simply liked the look, the feel of her.

Who had forced himself upon her.

He was gone now, though, and nothing would ever link back to him, and Yukina would always wonder why the houshi simply left one night and gave himself to the Mother, but never let it bother her. She was rebuilding her life now, with an elderly miko who still had plenty of kick left in her and a need, from time to time, for a guiding hand. Yukina was happy now, and even happier, Hiei begrudgingly accepted, when Genkai's red-headed apprentice stopped by. Between those two, she was safe from the most recent searches.

It was the reason that he had taken up a new perch—a new city—in Tokyo, rather than Mushiyori, where he had been before. It was past time for the Heir to pick her youkai, and the woman was far too fussy. She reminded him too much of those abusive miko and houshi he had observed before. She had her pick of youkai—she already had the best at her side: Sesshoumaru, son of Inu no Taisho, easily one of the most powerful youkai alive—and yet still her predecessor paraded youkai in front of her to choose. The net, catch and release, had been circling wider and wider, and so Hiei, obviously having a great deal more intelligence than most of the youkai taken to the Sun and Moon Shrine, the seat of spiritual power, had decided to take cover close by, where they were unlikely to search. Though, going by the sound of the creaking door behind him, that may have been too much of an assumption.

The intruder was not one he normally would have minded. In fact, he often sought out Kurama's company during and following the decade they had been forced to work for Koenma after they had been caught with items from Reikai's vault. As Youko Kurama, he was a youkai to be respected. As a human…hybrid…whatever, he was interesting enough, and at least intelligent enough to prove his worth in planning and battle.

He was also the only case he knew of a youkai and houshi who were housed within the same body. Youko had fled, in soul form, from a botched job, and landed in the body of a young human—who had happened to be a houshi. Kurama called it destiny. Hiei could not think so favorably of being bound. They agreed to disagree, but lately that had not been the case.

"How did you find me?" He asked, wanting to get it over with.

"After all these years, Hiei, do you really need to ask?"

Hiei turned his eyes to Kurama, who had his eyebrow raised and a small smile on his lips, though his eyes didn't share the emotion. Not a social call then. "What is it now, Fox?"

"There isn't much time left."

"So?"

"You know what could happen."

"How could I possibly forget?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. Before Kurama could speak again, he asked, "And why do you keep pushing _me_, of all youkai, forward?"

"Because," Kurama sighed, leaning against the rooftop's stairway wall, "there really aren't that many of us left, and what's the harm in trying. You never know…"

Hiei snorted. "You really want to try to settle the precious Heir with a bastard youkai like me?"

Kurama ran his hand through his hair—in a rare show of frustration, not as a precursor to an attack, as was often the case. "You're really not nearly so bad as you make yourself out to be, Hiei. And neither is she. You know the rumor. Sesshoumaru was willing to put off his own mating to buy her a few months. That says something about her that he would even consider doing that."

"She's the Heir, Kurama. She could have—has had—her pick of youkai, and each one more powerful than the last, and each one put aside by the next as they lost their usefulness."

"She wants to find her bondmate, Hiei, that perfect union of souls," he said, hand over heart, "that makes both stronger and fills them with such ecstasy, such happiness of being…The air about the Shrine is tense now, and perhaps she now finds the idea foolish, but I could never begrudge that wish."

Kurama paused, as if waiting to see if his short, impassioned speech would sway Hiei.

"My decision stands."

Kurama sighed, running his hand through his hair. "You are my friend, Hiei, so I won't force you, but I do ask that you consider it. You may not be her bondmate, but you may be. Consider it. If not for me, for her, for the world, then for Yukina. Please."

Hiei was alone again, with his own thoughts, and Kurama's pleas.


	3. Part 3 - A Kind of Magic

(Belated) Disclaimer: I own neither Yu Yu Hakusho nor Inuyasha. All songs/lyrics belong to Queen.

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**Part 3: It's a Kind of Magic**

_One dream, one soul, one prize, one goal.  
One golden glance of what should be.  
One flash of light that shows the way,  
No mortal man can win this day.  
The bell that rings inside your mind,  
It's challenging the doors of time.  
The waiting seems eternity, yeah,  
The day will dawn of sanity.  
Is this a kind of magic?_

Though Japan did not claim the highest seat in secular power, it had been the seat of spiritual power for the last century, and it showed in all facets of life on the islands, but most spectacularly at the Sun and Moon Shrine, where the Anchor lived and ruled. The shrine grounds were a grand affair, comprised of twenty-one buildings and standing just below the treeline. Throughout the grounds there were gardens, both wild and tame, separated by trees, waterways, and buildings. There were dorms and grand suites for the permanent staff, miko in training (a cement monstrosity built for their safety and sanity) and visitors—traveling miko, visiting dignitaries and the occasional wanderer who sought a safe shelter for a night or two. In addition, there were buildings set aside for administration, household duties and chores, and, lastly, entertainment.

Though it was the audience chamber, and Kagome had seen it packed quite often in her time with her mentor, the vastness of the space made it seem like the few people in the room—her, Sesshoumaru at her back, Kikyou and Inuyasha above her to the side, and a line of men and attendants before them—seem small, like ants marching across a fallen magnolia leaf.

As she had for all previous gatherings, Kagome used Sesshoumaru as her anchor to gather her strength—less now than ever, her tie to him was fraying fast—and rose as gracefully as she could from the dais beside Kikyo and walked over to the line of youkai that would inevitably form under Kikyou's guidance. Once upon a time, her suitors would fill the hall, dressed in finery, with hope—or, on occasion, greed—in their eyes, and they would look away and turn away in acceptance when she met their eyes, and then continued on, the light and hope within her dying slowly, as her body did.

This bunch was significantly smaller, some gathered by Kikyou's outer guard, others out of duty to their native lands—after all, for all that most had deigned it was hopeless to unite lands with Kagome, as none had been able to bond with her after all these years, some still carried hope, or desperation—and there were just a couple with glimmers of hope in their eyes.

Kagome imagined that these youkai, though this was their first time before her, were just as bored as herself with the proceedings, as she walked down the line, looking into each of their eyes, hearing no sighs behind her, but seeing shrugs just within her vision. But she did wonder if the downcast gait of those who had come out of duty, out of hope, was due to them not being successful, or due to thoughts of what the world might become—how the world might be undone—should she not be able to bond.

Her eyes leaving the those of the last youkai in line, she turned away from them to Kikyou, who sat upon the dais, Inuyasha, her mate, beside her, Kikyou with a blank look that hid all emotions—all of which she knew would boil down to frustration—and Inuyasha with a grim set to his mouth. Already touching, he squeezed his mate's hand.

There again was the guilt, the depression, the regret, bubbling up from her core.

"Kikyou—"

"The next group will arrive tomorrow morning," she said, businesslike as ever.

"Kikyou."

"I advise you stay here for the night, rather than sneaking out to visit your family, so that we can discuss—"

Before she could finish whatever she was saying in that too-polite, even tone, Kagome fled out the sliding doors to the veranda, using the railing to stop her momentum and leaning over it as she dry-heaved.

The pressure, the frustration, the constant drain. Her body ached, and felt so heavy, like the planet's gravity was increasing and she was trying to walk up an endless flight of stairs. Gazing at the ancient oak perched on the northwest corner of the complex, she wondered, it was only a matter of time anyways, what if—

"Kagome," Kikyou called angrily from behind her. "You can't just leave like that. You are my heir, there are rules, decorum. What kind of leader will you be if you just storm out like a teenager whenever things get difficult?"

She turned to Kikyou, keeping one hand on the railing to steady herself. "Kikyou," she rasped out, "I can't do this anymore."

Kikyou's gaze sharpened. "You can, and you will. You will do your duty to me, to our people, and to the Mother."

"Please, just let me try to fix this—"

"I knew I should never have indulged your childish notions."

"How is the desire to be happy and in love childish? You and Inuyasha—"

"Forget Inuyasha and me, Kagome. Plenty of miko have, are, and will find contentedness even without the natural bond, there's no reason you, despite your power, would be any different."

"What, you're saying that you'll force the bond between Sesshoumaru and I?"

"No, Kagome, we both know the chances of both of you surviving the process are too low to even bother at this point. What I'm saying is that I should have forced you to bond years ago!"

"You can't mean that!"

Kikyou closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath, opening her usual blank eyes to her heir. "Kagome, how long have I been an Anchor?"

Startled by the sudden change of demeanor, of topic, automatically replied, "Forty-five years."

"And how old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

Kikyou raised her hands to Kagome's shoulders, not threatening, but firm. She endeavored to look Kagome in the eye, but was not able to meet them, as Kagome kept her eyes steadily and stubbornly just an inch to the right of Kikyou's head, looking past her to the skyscrapers jutting out of the treeline. "Twenty-one years. Twenty-one years, Kagome, since I ascended, relieved my mentor from her duties. Twenty-one years it took me to find my own heir, the one that will prevent me from being devoured by the Mother. You keep saying that it would be so much better for all that you pass on, are reincarnated, better luck next time. But it took me twenty-one years to find you, Kagome."

Kagome had heard this all before, the argument that had been said and rephrased so many times in the past, but the note of desperation in Kikyou's voice made her eyes waver. And in that moment, in that briefest second, she saw black against grey, and white just above a pair of carmine eyes. She felt the whisper, as if imagined, of his youki brushing against her tenki. She tried to call out, to do anything, but it felt as though her heart, her lungs, everything had frozen in that moment in a white hot fire.

And just on the edges of her perception, Kikyou carried on. "The Anchor dies slowly, Kagome, much more slowly than an unbound miko, but I assure you, if I remain the Anchor, so closely tied to the mother, I won't live another twenty-one years to find you again. How long do you suppose our sisters and brothers can hold the world together in our absence, if they will even be able to find either one of us again?"

"_Kikyou_…" she whispered, barely able to conjure her voice.

Her mentor continued firmly, passionately. "We cannot afford to allow this earth to fall to ruin again; neither human nor youkai would survive intact. I lacked the hardened heart that would have allowed me to force a bond on you, protected our futures, years—months!—ago, and now, all we have left is to hope for the natural bond that you idolize to form. I may have lacked the ruthlessness years ago, but I will not lose hope, and I will not allow the world to end, and if it takes me parading youkai in front of you every day until your soul departs your body, then so be it!"

"Kikyou!"

"What?" she yelled.

Kagome lifted one shaking arm, pointing at something a distance behind Kikyou. "It's him!"


	4. Part 4 - Under Pressure

**Part 4: Under Pressure**

_It's the terror of knowing  
What this world is about.  
Watching some good friends  
Screaming, "Let me out!"  
Pray tomorrow – gets me higher  
Pressure on people – people on streets._

There was a flurry of activity at the Sun and Moon Shrine that Hiei took note of but was sluggish to react. Half a mile away and yet, the second he saw her enter the veranda, it was as if all of his senses went into overdrive, and he was able to see her eyes, and by her reaction the same had happened to her. An utter stillness—shock?—overcame him and, though his temperature always ran high, as was the nature for a hiyoukai, he felt a sudden warmth overcome him, from the inside, manifesting physically, but feeling to him more akin to the sensations he felt fighting with his trusted allies, or simply being with Yukina, but so much stronger. He had never felt such peace in his life, and the mistrust of that deep contentment—his gut pulling him in one direction while his mind pulled back in abhorrence—was what finally threw him out of his fugue, just in time to see two Inuyoukai—powerful, most likely Inu no Taisho's sons, given the location—burst out of the building the two women had come from and look in his direction.

In that moment, Hiei knew what had happened, and knew what was coming.

And he ran. He knew he was faster than either of the brothers on his trail, and the dogs would have to trace him by scent, unless they increased their search party. But for the moment, Hiei knew his best plan of action would be to run haphazardly, give himself a chance to think, to plan. In the end, he knew it was just a matter of outwaiting, outrunning them just long enough that there was no need for him any longer. But then, if what he suspected—that he had somehow been chosen as the Heir's bondmate—were true, there would be no end to his pursuers.

Unless he disappeared completely. He'd done it before, long ago, but he could do it again. He could do it for however long it took. He could even ignore these sudden feelings that had so strongly begun to sing in his veins, contentment and a soul-deep pain that battled as he fled.

But first…

His mind made up, Hiei set about leading the dogs on a winding chase, hoping it would give him enough time.

He arrived at Genkai's shrine late in the evening, but the lights were still on, and he could see Yukina cleaning up in the kitchen. Knowing, even without him releasing his youki, that he was there, she looked up at him and smiled, as she always did. His heart—and fists—clenched as he watched her quickly dry her hands and hurry to the door.

"Hiei!" she called happily as she rushed toward him. "Kurama said you'd be coming."

He didn't return her hug as the feeling of dread crawled through him. "Kurama?"

From the light escaping the house, he could see the fox exiting through the same door as Yukina had. "Hello, Hiei," he said, voice and face blank. That was all Hiei needed to know.

"Traitor," he hissed, his arms tightening around Yukina in reflex to an urge to flee. But if Kurama was here, that could only mean…

"_He _isn't the one I would call a traitor," called a rough voice from behind him. Even with the Jagan, he hadn't felt them. He would have to be smart, quick, eliminate at least one of them, if he wanted to get out of here with his freedom.

"Yukina, go back inside," he said, urging her forward when she looked like she might refuse. As she entered the house, he saw Yusuke and Kuwabara exit it, sensing a disturbance and running headfirst towards it like the trouble magnets they were. Hiei tensed, trying to keep his eyes on everyone at once.

"What's going on here?" Yusuke demanded.

Kuwabara motioned to the inuyoukai brothers. "Yeah, what are they doing here?"

"You guys just stay outta this," the younger brother said. Sesshoumaru had yet to speak. "This is between us and the little guy."

Yusuke and Kuwabara made as if to protest the slight against Hiei, but Kurama held them both back with an arm. "Hiei has been chosen." His words caused at least Kuwabara to back down.

"So?" Yusuke challenged. "One miko doesn't get her way and she sends a couple'a thugs to get him?"

Kurama turned sharp eyes on him. "He has been chosen by the _Heir_."

Yusuke's eyes widened in acknowledgement. Hiei could see the frustration written all over his face, but knew that he would have no allies in this fight, though he also wouldn't have any additional opponents.

"Well," the younger brother spoke again as Hiei turned his full attention on the two, "now that that's settled, are you gonna come quietly?" Hiei drew his sword. "Thought not." He smirked, drawing his own sword, which transformed into a huge blade, as the stories said.

Hiei looked over the two, gauging his choices. The younger brother had painted himself as a target, urging Hiei to attack him, whether as a strategy or for the pure desire to fight Hiei neither knew nor cared. It was Sesshoumaru who was the more powerful of the two, and therefore the one he needed to eliminate if he was to escape the miko's sorcery.

At his fastest, ignoring the imagined pain throughout his body, he went for Sesshoumaru, and faster than even he could apprehend, Sesshoumaru's hand was centimeters from his face, and there was a sickly sweet scent…

And darkness.


	5. Part 5 - Who Wants to Live Forever?

**Part 5: Who Wants to Live Forever?**

There's no time for us  
There's no place for us  
What is this thing that builds our dreams  
Yet slips away from us?  
Who wants to live forever?

Kagome could hardly contain her excitement, even knowing that Kikyou's face at this moment was a study in exasperation and desperation and frustration and many other –ations. Her body had been flooded with such warmth ever since she had seen those eyes, her own vision sharpening, her entire body becoming hypersensitive. Was this a feeling all soulbound felt, or only bondmates? If this was what she had been waiting for, it was worth the pain and guilt and regret.

She regretted nothing now. How could she have thought to end her life before she had felt this…this…otherworldly sense of being so truly _alive_?

She was in the training compound still, for her own safety, though Sesshoumaru was no longer at her side, which was just as well: after she had felt her bondmate, she knew no other could hold her soul anyways. She was in the training compound still, but soon, so soon, she would be able to leave, to never have to step foot inside again. Freedom…

As they rounded the corner to the bonding rooms, she could feel him so strongly, she just followed the tendrils of his power to the room where he was waiting. For her. Where they would…She blushed.

She stopped in front of the third door on the left, turned to Kikyou, took a deep breath to steel herself, and slid open the door.

And promptly slid it shut.

Her body, so warm mere seconds ago, chilled. "Kikyou…"

"You found your bondmate, Kagome," she said sternly, "It's time to do your duty."

"But Kikyou, all this started because I didn't want to force—"

The look Kikyou fixed on her was enough that Kagome could only retreat meekly inside herself. "The compound is cleared out as much as possible to give you privacy, but if the deed is not done by the morning, this courtesy will be removed. Do I make myself clear, Kagome?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Kikyou sighed and brought gentle fingers to Kagome's chin. "Child, I'm not doing this to be cruel. If there were another way…"

"I know."

She watched Kikyou disappear down the hall, returning to her duties, her mate. And Kagome slid open the doors on hers.

She had never seen a bonding room before, but she was horrified by the _utility _of it. In the far corner was a small kitchenette, and across from that a door that likely led to a bathroom. The wall to the left was largely made up of a one-way mirror—she had heard that for some bondings, medical staff were required to be on standby—and against the right wall was her mate, naked and chained to a futon by four anchors on the floor, glaring at her with such anger…

"I'm sorry," she said, shutting the door behind her and trying to keep her eyes on his face, even with those angry eyes of his. He snorted. She approached slowly, trying to thing if there was any way for them to go forward, and knelt at his side. "I'm sorry for anything they might have done to you, I'm sorry that I'm obviously not what you want, but do you think…is there…is there any way you might be happy with me, that you might grow to love me?"

His answer was acerbic. "What do you think, onna?"

Immediately, any strength she had felt before was gone. It was like she had aged fifty years in a few seconds, and she knew there was only one thing to do.

The younger brother, Inuyasha, had been there when he'd woken up from whatever Sesshoumaru had done to him. That was the first thing he'd noticed. The second was his current state of undress and imprisonment. He glared silently at his captor, who just shrugged it off.

"You're angry at her for something neither one of you has any control of, you know." When Hiei showed no signs of ending the silent treatment, Inuyasha continued. "There are a lot of stories about the bond. A lot of people call it love at first sight, but it's not anything like that."

Hiei latched onto that. "A spell?" Were his suspicions confirmed?

Inuyasha smiled ruefully. "No, nothing like that, sorry. There's no such thing as love at first sight, though. Just lust. And, for miko and houshi and their mates, a soul-deep recognition of a soul that's kin to theirs, that fits like a missing puzzle piece. That's what you felt when you first saw her. It's what she felt too. Love, though, love takes time, and work." His expression turned fond now. "When Kikyou and I first met, and felt that pull, gods, it was so frustrating, both feeling that we needed the other, but we couldn't _stand _each other. But we had time, and now…I couldn't imagine my life without her." He paused, stood, put the chair he had been sitting on against the wall and walked to the door. With his hand ready to slide it open, he turned back to Hiei, whose glare had lightened somewhat in thought. "You could let Kagome die, let Kikyou, eventually the world, die with her. The world will probably decay slow enough it wouldn't matter to you. You could find another who suits you well enough. But you will never again have a chance at the peace, the strength you could feel with her. And in the end, when you're destroying yourself with what-ifs, you'll remember what I told you today, and regret."

Hiei barely registered the door shutting.

He laid there—not that he had any choice—for a long time after that, emotions warring within him as they never had before until he called for an end to it all and just decided to be angry at the situation he was in, trapped without any defenses or outlets for his anger.

And that's when she came in once, twice, shy, as if she didn't know this was going to happen. Apologizing, even though she was the one that had gotten him into this mess, going from content (relative) solitude to suddenly depending on another for his happiness. He felt like those ancient fools, who looked up at the sun and couldn't understand it, but felt such love and gratitude for it that it became a god. He felt like something—his heart, his soul, his youki—would jump from his body and embrace her at any moment, never leave her, forever entwine them. His soul wanted her. And, gods, so did his body.

He watched, listened to her, putting on a brave face, attempting to negotiate with him and he had to respect her for that. But she was his jailor. And he was nothing if not stubborn.

"What do you think, onna?"

It was like the lights of the world went out, and he felt her despair as if it were his own.

But she was his jailor. And he was nothing if not stubborn.

She stood—slowly, oh so slowly—and walked—gods, was she injured?—to the chest of drawers at the foot of the futon, and began searching the drawers until she found what she was looking for: a key. Eyes flat and dark, she looked at him, the key, his chains, and him again. Then she knelt again, this time by his feet. Her hands shook as she fitted the key in the lock, but she stopped before she turned it, looked back to him.

"Before I release you, I need you to promise me something."

_Anything_, he wanted to say, but he remained silent. Stubborn.

"I—I need you," she rasped out, "to take me to the garden. You can stay, or leave me there. I can take care of everything, they'll leave you alone, just…" her eyes filled with tears for the first time. "I don't think I can get there on my own."

Hiei looked at her through the pain he felt—gods, were there invisible minions on his chest, stabbing out his heart? Eventually he nodded.

Nothing else was said as she slowly made her way to each of the shackles. When she was done, she slumped over in exhaustion as he dressed in the clothes that had been folded on the chest in which she'd found the key. He knelt down, trying to ignore the tingle of pleasure that burst through him just from lifting her up, and followed her instructions to the training garden, while keeping an eye out for interruptions. She barely opened her eyes for the few minutes it took to reach the open center of the building, though she did mumble things that had no meaning to him a couple times.

"I'd hoped Goshinboku would help me with this, but there's no time to go all the way there. Do you think he'll be able to find me here?" He remained silent, focused on their destination.

Unsure what was best and receiving no instructions from the miko, he laid her down in the center of the garden—a small affair of a few flower beds, shrubs and saplings. Already he could feel his body betraying him. Hoping distance would ease the pain, he left quickly, barely hearing the whispered "Thank you," behind him.

He was barely a mile away when he collapsed and cried out—not from pain, no, this was so far beyond pain. It was an unearthly cold that froze him from the inside out, so strong and so relentless. Not even the ice caps of Makai, where no one and nothing could survive for long, could ever have felt like this in Hiei's wildest imaginings.

He knew this must be what it felt like when a soul's mate died.

His body disabled, his mind betrayed him next.

_Yukina's withdrawal from life after being forcibly bonded._

_Her contentedness and increasing self-confidence with Genkai and Kuwabara._

"_If not for me…"_

"_Sesshoumaru was willing to put off his own mating…"_

"…_That perfect union of souls."_

"…_makes both stronger and fills them with such ecstasy, such happiness of being…"_

"…_for her…"_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_Is there any way you might be happy with me, that you might grow to love me?"_

"…_for the world…"_

"_You will never again have a chance at the peace, the strength you could feel with her. And in the end, when you're destroying yourself with what-ifs, remember what I told you today."_

"…_then for Yukina."_

_Yukina…Yukina…_

_Kagome!_

He couldn't fee his body, wasn't aware of himself moving, so he was surprised to find himself back in the garden, a soft pink glow surrounding all of the greenery in the garden, originating from Kagome. Kagome, who he could barely feel anymore.

"NO!" he cried out, with his voice, with his body, heart, soul…with his youki. In less than a second, they were surrounded by nothing but ash, and he was on Kagome, feeling for signs of life. If he hadn't been so stubborn, hadn't told himself that he didn't want what he so obviously needed: her. It was true, there was no love there, but his soul knew, his body knew…his mind could catch up later. For now, he could just barely feel her, and in an act of desperation, relying on instinct alone, he kissed her.

For one, tortuous second, there was nothing.

Then, a sudden, deep inhale.

He drew back to see her. Her eyes were groggy, but they were open, and so blue, and _alive_.

He dropped his head to kiss her again, but she turned her head, stopping the action.

"What…you…?" Her eyebrows furrowed, obviously unable to explain to herself why he was here.

"Hiei."

"Huh?"

"My name."

"Oh." She blinked. "I'm…Kagome."

"I know." He couldn't stop smiling. The pain was dissipating, being replaced with pleasure, with a rightness of being. And she was _alive_.

Her brows were still furrowed, like she didn't know what to ask, what to believe, and, as she began to look around, where the garden had gone.

"Kagome," he said, calling her attention back to him. She met his gaze steadily, despite how much she should hate him right now. "I don't love you." Her eyes shuttered, and he gently put a hand to her face. "I don't love you, _yet_. But you feel so right to me, I can't explain it. I want to grow to…feel something for you, and if that means we need to bond first, then that's what I want. Will you be my mate, for better or worse?"

Her eyes shifted slightly, looking deeply into both of his, trying to determine his intentions. Tears flowed softly from her eyes as she nodded. "Yes. Yes, Hiei."

When he kissed her this time, there was no resistance.

There was a noise of protest when he incinerated her clothes, and a noise of encouragement when he did the same to his. Now that their minds were on the same page, their bodies were going into overdrive again until they were both creatures of sensation. This first mating was short—neither of them was capable of lasting long, Hiei feeling such strong sensations as he never had during a rut, and Kagome alive, but only at a fraction of her strength— just long enough to seal the mating.

She was already leaking fluid when Hiei entered her, after only a couple minutes of foreplay and her begging for more, and with just a few strokes, he could already feel her tightening around him further, her fingernails clawing into his back and her spine bent to bring her to him, and he knew that her climax was only seconds away, as was his.

The power wrapped around and entwining them both imploded, sending them both into climax. Kagome fainted right away, and Hiei wasn't far behind her, wrapping her in his arms and raising his body temperature against the cool night.


	6. Epilogue - Crazy Little Thing

**Epilogue: Crazy Little Thing Called Love**

_This (This Thing) called love  
(Called Love)  
It cries (Like a baby)  
In a cradle all night  
It swings (Woo Woo)  
It jives (Woo Woo)  
It shakes all over like a jelly fish,  
I kinda like it  
Crazy little thing called love_

Hiei watched her awaken, groggily but content, to the feeling of the sun on her face and his finger stroking her hipbone, his favorite place to touch her these days, after he'd found how his mark affected her. He allowed his gaze to drift up as he sensed her eyes opening, looking down on him through hooded eyes framed by an inky pool of dark hair and a single arm flung haphazardly above her on the pillow. Her other hand reached for the marking she'd left him just three months ago.

Hiei had never had cause to wonder how hiyoukai marked their mates. Some youkai mating habits were well known. Dogs bit their mate's neck. Cats carved their names wherever they pleased. And hiyoukai, apparently, tattooed their mates with their youki, like a brand. Kagome's nails brushed along her mark—a bow and arrow, the tip glowing pink like her tenki—where they had drawn blood during their first mating. Not that he'd been aware of it happening at the time. Nor had he been aware of himself placing his own mark on her: a dragon, its tail beginning at her collarbone and wrapping behind her neck, just skirting around her right breast and crossing her stomach, to rest its head on her left hipbone, eyes glaring and teeth bared at any who dared touch his miko. He stroked the dragon's head and felt the heat it radiated.

"_Mine_."

"_Mm, yours_," she said, and pulled him down.

Kagome felt pride, and no small amount of relief, as she shot her glowing arrow into the dark, star-lit sky, and watched it explode into a hundred streaming lights, like shooting stars. It was a showy bit of fanfare, to mark the end of the ceremony, but it was far more than she was able to do months ago, when her body failed her and she was too close to death to risk allowing her powers loose. It was a showy bit of fanfare to mark the end of the ceremony—three days' worth of ceremonies, really—of her ascent to Anchor.

It was a ridiculous burden to bear—she knew from years of watching Kikyou manage it—but as she felt Hiei's arms wrapped around her, his body warmer than any other she'd ever felt, she couldn't bring herself to think of her duties. They would be there in the morning, and the next day forever after. But not tonight. Tonight was a night for celebration.

She turned around in his arms to face him, to see the pride that she had felt coming from him. It was strange what she felt for him. Her innermost self, her soul, knew his, but the rest of her—the rest of them—were still catching up, though she knew in just a few short months they had come a long way from their first, painful meeting, followed by the horrifying experience of being discovered the next morning, naked in a pool of ash, by Inuyasha.

He alternatingly infuriated her and intrigued her. He was at least as stubborn as she was, and ran hot and cold in his anger. Their first argument—over the bond, what else, and heated enough to make the entire household tread carefully around them both—was resolved only because the bond would allow them to be apart for only so long, and eventually they ended up in a room together, staring each other down and riling each other back up for hours longer before they called a truce. And then he would surprise her, coming out of nowhere, to correct her stance during training, spar with her without treating her like a doll, or offer his opinion on the documents Kikyou was slowly transferring to her to handle. There were times when he made her want to just sit in a dark room and curl into herself, and there were times, like those soft mornings, when he stroked her hip, and he had on this goofy smile—well, what she interpreted would be a goofy smile on him—

"Onna?"

They had known each other only a short time, and given a certain amount of reluctance on both sides, she wondered how it could be that she felt so comfortable with him. Her soul knew his, and that was part of it, but that bone-deep trust was slowly making its way through her entire being. He confused her, often, with how contradictory he could be: at one moment cold and biting and another moment so affectionate, so kind. She knew his past, could guess at what he had left out, but despite that, he was honorable, and strong, and fair, and capable of deep love, if what she had seen of his interactions with his friends—_allies_, she corrected herself with a smile—were anything to go by. For all that she could feel the constancy of his soul thrumming through her, he was made up of contradictions, and for all that, she could still feel the beginnings of what some people would call love.

And she wondered sometimes if she confused him as much as he did her. _No doubt._ She smirked. "You know, Hiei, I kind of like it."

He stayed silent, just raised an eyebrow. "This crazy little thing we call love."


End file.
